


Honor & Power: Interludes

by inkpenavenger



Series: Honor & Power [2]
Category: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:28:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25742116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkpenavenger/pseuds/inkpenavenger
Summary: A number of scenes and shorts set during/after Part 1 of this series. Just some ideas that didn't fit into the pacing or structure of that story.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra), Mermista/Sea Hawk (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Series: Honor & Power [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1867315
Comments: 7
Kudos: 56





	1. Hordak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hordak's reaction to the abduction of Wrong Hordak and Melog and the theft of Darla.  
> Set during Chapters 5-9 of "Secrets of the Sword."

Hordak rummaged through the discarded bits of machinery, trying to find viable components. Complicating matters was the profusion of vegetation that still strangled the entire complex. There! A capacitor that should work for… broken! He hurled the useless part into the darkness with a roar of frustration.

“Oh, yep, he’s definitely in there,” a familiar voice drifted in from outside the ruined lab. Scorpia. 

Hordak ignored it, continuing his search for anything that might work. He heard the footsteps of several pairs of feet entering the former sanctum.

“Um, what are you doing?” This voice he knew as well. The leader of Salenias. Mermista. “You’re supposed to be in Salenias working on the gate, not stealing a boat and running off back to the Fright Zone.”

Hordak at last glanced over his shoulder. Approaching him were Mermista, Scorpia, Perfuma, and that annoying sailor. What was his name? No matter. Hordak simply growled and continued his search. 

“And  _ you _ were supposed to keep an eye on him,” Mermista said to the sailor. “I mean,  _ seriously _ , Sea Hawk?”

“In my defense, dearest,” Sea Hawk replied. “he  _ is _ still terrifying.”

“So uh, whatcha doing there, Hordak?” Scorpia asked.

“Get. Out!” Hordak bellowed.

“Um, no,” Mermista replied. “Yeah, that’s not gonna fly.”

“Come on, use your words, buddy,” Scorpia coaxed.

“Take calming breaths,” Perfuma added.

Hordak growled. These insufferable… but he remembered what was at stake. He stood and took a breath.

“Entrapta,” he began. “I think she may be in danger. I attempted to contact her on the ship about the progress on the Sea Gate. She and the others were out exploring a planet.” He clenched his fists. “But someone entered the ship. They subdued Melog and Wrong Hordak and cut off the transmission.” He turned to face them, his voice rising in agitation. “So I had to come here, try to construct a reverse portal beacon to take me to wherever they are! If you want to stop me, you’re welcome to try!”

With that, Hordak turned back to the mess of foliage and discarded tech and resumed digging through it. After a moment, he felt a small hand softly touch his shoulder. He turned sharply to see Perfuma.

“Entrapta is our friend too,” she said. “How can we help?”

Hordak was taken aback. He still wasn’t used to… whatever his relationship to the other princesses was now. He sighed and held up his tracker-pad, displaying his rough plans for the device.

“I’m looking for any parts like these that are still intact,” he said. 

The others crowded around and looked at the screen, then fanned out and began to search.

=======

Indeed, the additional assistance had proved extremely helpful. Perfuma was easily able to clear the intrusive plants out of the way to make it easier to find parts. Scorpia was a great help in moving heavy components and removing mechanical debris. In addition, she was able to cut some needed parts free from larger structures with her pincers, as well as cut and shape other pieces of metal to Hordak’s specifications. She even discovered she could use her lightning magic to do simple spot-welding.

“Oh, that is  _ fun _ ,” Scorpia had said. “I’ll have to mess around with that later!”

Mermista had… mostly kept Sea Hawk from getting in the way.

Hordak worked late into the night, single-mindedly focused on assembling the device. He wasn’t even sure if he could get it to work as he desired. His old attempts to open a portal out of Despondos had been complicated enough, and he never would have succeeded at all had it not been for Entrapta. The portal beacons they had developed together enabled quick travel between established points, but what Hordak was attempting now was infinitely more complex than even that. He would essentially be attempting to open a portal to a specific location thousands of light-years away without a precise signal to lock on to. On top of that, all planets and stars in the universe were in constant motion, making any such attempted calculation all the more impossible. 

His head throbbed. His eyes burned. When he dropped his hexdriver for the third time in as many minutes, he again felt the gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked at Perfuma with eyes that refused to focus.

“You have to rest,” she said.

“Entrapta…” Hordak protested, “needs me…”

He looked around the lab. Mermista and Sea Hawk were gone. How long ago had they left? How long had he been working? He saw Scorpia sitting in a corner, head lolled back, mouth hanging open, fast asleep. Perfuma’s eyes looked tired, too.

“You can’t help her if you’re collapsing from exhaustion,” Perfuma insisted. “You don’t even have to go far.” Perfuma waved her hand, and some of the vines returned to form a simple hammock right next to the partially assembled machine. “Just get a few hours’ sleep.”

Hordak growled.

“Besides,” Perfuma continued, “you’ll be able to get better work done if you’re rested.”

Hordak glared at Perfuma, but the princess did not flinch or relent. He sighed, the weight of exhaustion truly catching up with him. She was right, of course. He wouldn’t be able to complete a functional device in his current state. Even with his prosthetics, his limbs ached from the extended exertion. Finally, grudgingly, Hordak stepped over to the hammock and let himself fall into it. Before he could even register another thought, he’d already slipped into deep sleep.

=======

Hordak woke up abruptly to a loud buzzing sound. For a moment, he couldn’t remember where he was, and fell out of the vine-hammock onto the cold metal floor. He searched around for the source of the noise and found his tracker-pad. An incoming message relayed by the portal beacon! He quickly answered the call.

“Entrapta?” he said.

“Hi!” Entrapta said cheerfully. The image was shaky. Her hair was reaching out of frame in several directions. An alarm on the ship was blaring.

“What happened,” Hordak demanded. “Are you alright?”

“No. I mean, yes. I mean, probably.” 

On the other end, the ship banged and shuddered. Hordak heard an unfamiliar woman’s voice cry out in alarm as well as the very familiar sound of Emily screeching and rolling along a floor.

“Sorry!” Entrapta called over her shoulder to someone in the ship with her. “Bow usually does the flying part, I just do the fixing part.”

“What’s going on? What happened?”

“Right! Darla got kidnapped, but we rescued her. Flying back to the castle now. Probably be home tomorrow. Didn’t want you to worry. Bye!”

“I-” 

The transmission cut off. Hordak suddenly felt… rather foolish. He looked at the half-built machine in the ruins of his old lab. Of course she was safe. Not only was Entrapta exceedingly capable on her own, but she had Catra and Adora and the others with her. Why had he panicked at the first sign that she was in danger? 

“What was that about?” Scorpia asked. She and Perfuma had been awakened by the commotion. They stood nearby, Perfuma’s hand in Scorpia’s pincer.

“Entrapta,” he said quietly. “She’s… safe. They’re all safe. They’re coming back to Etheria tomorrow.”

“That’s wonderful!” Perfuma said. 

Hordak was silent for a moment.   
“I should return to Salenias,” he said at last. “I… shouldn’t have abandoned the task I was assigned.”

“I’ll go get a boat ready,” Scorpia said. “Or a skiff. Or, I don’t know, something!” She headed out of the lab.

“Everyone will understand, you know,” Perfuma said. “Dropping everything to try and help someone you care about? It’s very sweet.”

Hordak said nothing. He still didn’t really know how to respond to… kindness. 

As he and Perfuma made their way out of the lab to find whatever transport Scorpia would end up finding, she gestured back at the jumble of machinery.

“Maybe we can get someone to pack that up and bring it to Dryll,” she said. “Then you and Entrapta can work on it together when she gets home.”

Hordak nodded. He simply couldn’t understand. Most of the princesses seemed to merely tolerate him. He’d expected exile or even death after all he’d done for so many years. Instead, they’d put him to work to rebuild what he’d helped tear down. Some, especially Mermisa and Frosta, openly treated him coldly.  _ That _ , anger, he understood. It was the ones who seemed willing to move on, to move forward, to… he couldn’t even fathom the notion of  _ forgive _ … that he had trouble coming to grips with. 

As they walked through the corridors of the former Fright Zone, Perfuma chatting idly as though they hadn’t been on opposite sides of a war for her entire life, the thought occurred to Hordak for the first time that, if even some of the princesses could forg… could move on

maybe, someday, so could he.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for indulging my shenanigans.


	2. Catra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set after the events of "Secrets of the Sword."  
> Back on Etheria, Glimmer offers a special position to Catra for an interesting reason.

Adora was quiet most of the way home. Even though it wasn’t late on Etheria when they arrived back in Brightmoon, she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and leave the processing of everything that had happened over the last couple days for later.

“I just want to rest,” she said as she and Catra walked the castle halls toward their bedroom.

“Do you want me to stay with you?” Catra asked.

“You don’t have to,” Adora replied. “If there’s something else you wanted to do today…”

“That’s not what I asked, dummy,” Catra said. “Do  _ you want _ me to stay with you?”

Adora nodded. “At least until I fall asleep?”

Catra kissed her cheek. “Of course.”

Later, they lay in bed, Adora tucked under Catra’s arm, her head on her shoulder.

“Hey,” Catra whispered, “you still awake?”

“Yeah…” Adora replied.

“You ok?” Catra asked. “Do you… want to talk about anything?”

Adora was silent for a moment.

“Not right now,” she said at last. “But I will, I promise. It’s just… there’s a lot to process still.”

“Maybe you should go talk to Perfuma about it, too,” Catra suggested. “I know I complain and make fun, but… it really helps me - y’know, talking to her - when I’m feeling overwhelmed.”

Adora nodded. 

Catra gently stroked Adora’s hair and purred, trying to help lull her to sleep. Eventually, she heard Adora start to snore softly, and smiled to herself. It still didn’t feel real sometimes, getting to lay with Adora like this, holding her, the way she’d dreamed about for so long. 

After a while, when she was sure Adora was fully and deeply asleep, Catra carefully slipped her arm out from under her, gently sliding Adora’s head onto a pillow. She quietly got out of bed and crept out of the room. She had some thinking and processing of her own to do, and decided a snack might help with that.

Catra slinked into the kitchens. It was late, so no one was around. She looked around in the cabinets and cold-storage chests, finally selecting a carton of milk and, since no one was around, a slice of cake. There had always been contraband snacks in the Fright Zone, and she’d always been able to get her share of sweets, but nothing that made its way in there compared to the desserts in Brightmoon. She couldn’t really articulate why, but it always felt somehow embarrassing, the thought that anyone might be able to tell how much she loved those desserts. It was stupid, but it was how she felt. 

Milk was another story entirely. That was something that she’d never seen before coming to live here with Adora. She’d been hesitant to try it at first; it had seemed kind of gross, all thick and opaque white. But once she’d tasted it? Now she’d drink it every chance she could get. 

So Catra was sitting at a counter in the Brightmoon kitchens, in the dark, eating her cake and drinking her milk, when a sudden flash of pink light startled her off her stool with a yelp.

“Catra?” Glimmer’s voice sounded just as startled as Catra was. She conjured a little ball of light to dimly illuminate the room.

“Jeez, Sparkles,” Catra groaned as she picked herself off the floor. “Can’t you just  _ walk _ down here like a normal person?”

“Sorry,” Glimmer said. “I didn’t think anyone would be in here. Is everything ok? How’s Adora doing?”

“She’s fine,” Catra said, righting her stool and sitting back down. “She’s asleep. I… couldn’t sleep.”

“Me either,” Glimmer chuckled. “I don’t know why Bow snores louder at home than when we’re travelling.”

They both laughed at that.

“Can I join you?” Glimmer said.

“It’s your castle,” Catra replied. 

Glimmer got herself her own slice of cake and a drink, and took a seat on the stool next to Catra.

“Thanks, by the way,” Catra said. “For having my back on Eternia. And for… saving me. I know burning up those shadows took a lot out of you.”

“Of course!” Glimmer said, nudging Catra’s shoulder with her own. “Like I was going to let some literal bone-head get away with hurting  _ any _ of my best friends.” 

Catra poked at her cake with her fork and said nothing. Glimmer’s smile faded.

“Wait,” Glimmer started, “you  _ do  _ realize that  _ you’re  _ my friend too, right?”

“Well…” Catra said quietly and awkwardly. “I mean, I know you’re friends with Adora, and then me and her got together, so…”

“Catra, no,” Glimmer said. She put down her fork and turned toward Catra. “You’re not my friend just because you’re with Adora. On Horde Prime’s ship, even before you helped me escape… I felt lost and alone and so scared… but you were there for me when I needed a friend most. And ever since then, we’ve  _ all _ had each other’s backs.”

Glimmer put a hand on Catra’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” she continued, “we were enemies for a long time, but now? Catra, I couldn’t  _ imagine  _ my life anymore without you in it. Bow isn’t kidding when he calls  _ the four of us _ the ‘Best Friend Squad.’”

“Thanks,” Catra said, looking up to meet Glimmer’s gaze at last. Her eyes were wet, and there was a lump in her throat. “That… that really means a lot.”

Glimmer gave Catra a hug, which she returned. 

“I’m so sorry I never made that clear, Catra,” Glimmer said as they parted.

“Really, I probably should have figured that out,” Catra said. “I… I still have a hard time remembering sometimes that people  _ do  _ care about me. I’m working on it.”

“Actually, there is something else I did want to talk to you about when I got the chance.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah…” Glimmer seemed to struggle with exactly how to start. “So there’s a job, something that would really help me, that I think you’d be really good at, but… the reason why I think that is gonna be… weird.”

“What is it?”

Glimmer hesitated.

“Ok, like, being queen,” she said, “is somehow  _ even more _ complicated without a war going on than when there was one. I have to manage things here in Brightmoon  _ and _ coordinating with the other princesses  _ and _ with all the allies we’ve made on other planets. It’s a lot, and I could really use some help managing it all, so… would you want to be, like, my Royal Advisor?”

Catra blinked at her and was silent for a moment.

“I… What?” she said at last. “Why me?”

“Ok, so this is going to sound super weird, but please don’t take it the wrong way, ok?” Glimmer said.

“Ok…” Catra replied cautiously.

“It’s… it’s because you were a really good leader in the Horde.”

Catra simply stared at Glimmer. Glimmer, for her part, looked extremely uncomfortable. 

“I mean,” Glimmer said, “you’re really good at planning, and organizing, and reading people, and getting them to do what you want them to do…”

Catra stared down at the remaining half of her slice of cake, which she no longer felt very hungry for.

“It’s just,” Glimmer continued when Catra didn’t respond, “this is a lot to try to manage on my own, and I could really use someone I trust by my side to help me make the best decisions I can. You don’t have to decide right now, just… think about it?”

“Yeah, I’ll… think about it,” Catra said quietly. She stood up from her stool. “I’m gonna go back to bed.”

“Ok,” Glimmer said. She quickly added, “I’ll clean up when I’m done here. You can go.”

“Alright…”

“Good night, Catra.”

“Night.”

Catra left the kitchens and walked, arms folded and eyes on her feet, back through the castle to her room. She entered the room quietly, but as she closed the door behind her, she saw Adora raise her head up from her pillow.

“Hey,” Adora said, softly and sleepily. “Where’d you go?”

“Midnight snack,” Catra replied. 

Adora held out her hand, and Catra crossed to the bed. She climbed in and snuggled up against Adora’s back, draping an arm over her and holding her hand. Catra deeply inhaled Adora’s comforting familiar scent.

“Everything ok?” Adora asked.

“...yeah,” Catra replied.

“You hesitated.”

“I… I ran into Glimmer,” Catra said. “In the kitchens. I guess she couldn’t sleep either.”

“Bow?”   
“Bow.”

They both giggled for a moment.

“She asked me to be her Royal Advisor,” Catra said at last.

“Oh?” said Adora. “Oh! Oh, you’d be good at that.”

“Obviously she thinks so too,” Catra replied. “But I’m not sure exactly how I feel about  _ why _ she thinks so…”

“What?” Adora asked. “Why’s that?”

Catra sighed, “She said it’s because I was ‘such a good leader’ in the Horde.”

“Oh…” Adora said. “Well I mean, you  _ were _ though. You’re good at reading people, and organizing, and you come up with  _ way _ better plans than any of the rest of us ever do.”

“Yeah, that’s basically what she said, too. It’s just… I don’t like thinking about who I was back then… Parts of me I’ve been trying to leave behind. To be better. But… that’s not the part that really got to me…”   
Adora waited.

“She said that I’m ‘good at getting people to do what I want,’” Catra shook her head. “As if my being manipulative is a good thing.”

Adora was silent for a long moment, thinking how best to respond.

“You  _ are _ good at talking to people,” she said. “And you have a good instinct for telling people what they want or need to hear to persuade them toward a goal.” She squeezed Catra’s hand. “If somebody does those kinds of things to benefit just themselves, that’s manipulation. But if someone does those things to make sure that  _ everyone _ benefits, I think that’s just called diplomacy.”

Catra was quiet for a while. 

“And besides,” said Adora, “if what you want is to leave behind those parts of you you don’t like, what better way than to take the skills that were part of that old life and putting them to work for something good? Take them out of the past and use them to build a better future.”

Catra smiled and hugged Adora close.

“Maybe you’re right,” she said. “Ok… I’ll go for it.”

“Yay!” Adora said with a bright smile. Catra’s heart melted.

“I’ll give it a shot, Catra said. “And if it doesn’t work out, it’s not like Glimmer’s going to stop being my friend.”

“Exactly,” Adora replied. “Nothing to lose.”

“You’re smarter than you look sometimes, princess.”

Adora laughed and hugged Catra’s arm to her chest, kissing the back of her hand. 

“I feel like you just called me an idiot without actually saying the word ‘idiot,’” she said.

“Yeah, well,” Catra said, kissing Adora’s shoulder. “You’re  _ my  _ idiot.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.


End file.
